Half Upon a Time by James Riley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is not the first Jack and the Beanstalk retelling I’ve read, nor is it the first to place all fictional “fairy tales” in the same world. However, after reading the first few chapters (and laughing loudly many times) I concluded that this is one of the best fairy tale retellings I’ve seen. In some, the main character has unrealistic standards of honor, chivalry, etc. The main character of Half Upon a Time, Jack, is not going in search of an adventure. In fact, he is very much opposed; he tells his grandfather that if there was a princess meant for him, she’d just fall out of the sky into his arms. (The “princess,” a girl from our world, obliges by falling out of an interdimensional tunnel, just barely missing his arms and landing–a foot away–on the ground instead.) Readers that know their fairy tales will recognize many references within this trilogy; at times, they may face-palm because how did they NOT see that coming?! I fully recommend this trilogy. It successfully bridges the gap between middle grade and young adult, combining (in my humble opinion) the best elements of both into a hilariously epic, and sometimes just plain hilarious, book.
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